Patio door lock

ABSTRACT

A device for locking sliding patio doors and other sliding sashes characterized by an extremely simple construction featuring an overcenter spring-induced toggle action imparted to a lock bolt to selectively urge same into locked position or hold same in open or unlocked position. The spring functions as a keeper for retaining the bolt in locked position and as a stop for determining the unlocked position of the bolt.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Donald B. Hawkins 1,635,634 7/1927 Pohl 200/76 UX 2233 A Washington Ave., San Leandro, 2,221,110 1 1/1940 Ross 292/175 X Calif. 94579 2,473,088 6/1949 Bain 200/76 rm Nor 3 232 FOREIGN PATENTS [22 Fi e ct. Patented 1971 398,447 3/1909 France 292/145 Primary Examiner-Albert G. Craig, Jr. Attorney-Harris Zimmerman [54] PATIO DOORLOCK 3Cla1rns,4Drawing Figs. ST CT f l k Id AB RA A device or. c ing si ing patio doors and [52] US. Cl 2 2922/1757, other sliding sashes characterized by an extremely simple Com 1 Cl In 5 29 struction featuring an overcenter spring-induced toggle action [5 I ll".

imparted to a lock bolt to selectively g Same into locked F d t s E05: 13/0 position or hold same in open or unlocked position. The spring k 0 41:11-05. "5g .2 functions as a keeper for retaining the bolt in locked position I l l /90 and as a stop for determining the unlocked position of the 200/76, 163 bolt [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,191,502 7/1916 Emme 292/ I 26 Q 27 I g 1 32 4 I a! 3: 46 I rr' 1. v r4/ 1 F 42 L h. i 4- 38 /l I9 29 3 113 24 9' i I I Ir I PATIO noon LOCK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various locks have been heretofore devised for locking sliding patio door, or the like, in closed position. Generally such a lock includes a bracket, or equivalent mounting element, secured to the door frame sill and arranged to mount a bolt manipulable between positions of locked engagement with, and unlocked disengagement from an aperture in the sliding door which is registrable with the bolt when the door is in its closed position. Conventional locks of this type have been relatively complex in construction, and the'bolts thereof cumbersome to manipulate between locked and unlocked positions. Typically, the bolt is slidably and rotatably mounted in a sleeve portion of the mounting bracket and spring loaded towards an extended position of locked engagement with the door aperture. A manipulating mechanism is associated with the bolt including a knob projecting radially therefrom through a longitudinally extending slot provided in the sleeve portion. A pair of notches extending right angularly from the slot adjacent its opposite ends are engageable by the knob and determine the extended locked and the retracted unlocked positions of the bolt. Thus, to manipulate the bolt from the locked to the unlocked position, it is necessary to grasp and rotate the knob to release same from the first notch, urge the knob against the spring loading of the bolt to retract the bolt, and then rotate the knob into engagement with the second notch to retain the bolt in unlocked position. To manipulate the bolt from unlocked to locked position, the reverse procedure is followed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improved lock for sliding patio doors, or other sliding sashes, which is extremely simple in construction and very easily manipulable between locked and unlocked positions.

A lock in accordance with the present invention basically comprises a bracket, or equivalent mounting element, adapted for securance to the sill of a sliding patio door, or the like, a lock bolt carried by the mounting element translatable towards and away from the door between an extended locked position of engagement with an aperture in the door and a retracted unlocked position of disengagement from the aperture, and over center spring means secured between the mounting element and bolt for imparting a toggle action to the bolt selectively effective to urge the bolt to its locked position and urge the bolt to and retain same in its unlocked position. The overcenter spring means additionally functions as a keeper for retaining the bolt in its locked position and as a stop determinative of the unlocked position of the bolt. With the simply constructed lock of the present invention the bolt is easily manipulated to either of its locked or unlocked positions merely by urging the bolt in the directions of such positions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a sliding patio door embodying a lock in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view, with portions broken away, of the lock of the present invention and cooperating portions of the sliding patio door assembly, the locked position of the bolt of the lock being depicted in full line and the unlocked position thereof being depicted in phantom.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken at line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken at line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EM BODIM ENT Referring now to FIG. I, there is shown a sliding patio door assembly 11 including a door 12 having a pane 13 of glass, or the like, framed within a sash 14 mounted for slidable translation longitudinally of a frame 16 in a conventional manner. In order that the door may be locked in its closed position wherein the sash is in end abutment with the jamb 17 of the frame, there is provided a lock 18 in accordance with the present invention which is preferably mounted in an unobstructing position upon the sill 19 of the frame adjacent the jamb. The lock 18 includes a lock bolt 21 which is transversely manipulable relative to the door between positions of locked engagement with, and unlocked disengagement from a recess or aperture 22 in the base 23 of the door sash which is registrable with the bolt when the door is in closed position (see FIG. 2). The lock and aperture may, of course, be positioned otherwise than illustrated and just described.

Unlike existing conventional devices for locking sliding patio doors and the like, the inventive lock 18 is of extremely simple construction while being very readily manipulable between locked'and unlocked positions. More Particularly, as ,best shown in FIG. 2, the bolt 21 is mounted for translation transversely of a bracket 24, or equivalent mounting element,

'adapted for securance to the sill 19, or other portion of the door frame 16. The bracket24 is preferably of channel con figuration including a pair of parallel, transversely spaced, substantially inverted V-shaped walls 26 and 27 extending right angularly from an interconnecting web 28. The walls 26 and 27 are respectively provided with transversely aligned apertures 29 and 31 adjacent their apices, through which the bolt extends in free slidable relationship. The bolt is preferably of elongated cylindrical configuration and provided with an enlarged head 32 at one end. The bolt may be slidably translated through the apertures between an extended position, as shown in full line in FIG. 2, wherein the head abuts the bracket wall 26 and the opposite tip of the bolt projects from bracket into wall 27 into locked engagement with the sash aperture 22, and a retracted position, as shown in phantom line in FIG. 2, wherein the head is spaced from wall 26 and the bolt tip is in unlocked disengagement from the sash aperture. Securance .of the bracket to the sill 19, or elsewhere, is facilitated as by means of longitudinally elongated slots 33 provided inthe web 28 for traversal by sheet metal screws 34, or equivalent fastener means, threadably engaging the sill.

In accordance with the particularly salient aspects of the invention, an over center spring means 36 is coupled between the bracket 24 and bolt 21 to impart a toggle action to the latter which is effective to selectively urge the bolt towards either of its extended locked and retracted unlocked positions. Moreover, spring means 36 also functions as a keeper for resiliently retaining the bolt in its extended position, and as a stop for determining the retracted position of the bolt. More particularly, in its preferred form, over center spring means 36 is provided as a band spring 37 of Omega-shaped (Q) configuration secured at its opposite ends to bracket web 28 and bolt 21. In this regard, the Omega-shaped band spring includes a U-shaped central portion 38 with aligned, oppositely directed linear portions 39 and 41 extending substantially right angularly from its opposite ends. One linear portion 39 is then end secured to the web while the other linear portion 41 is end secured to the bolt, and the interconnecting U-shaped central portion 38 is preferably disposed so that the reentrant arcuate section thereof is proximate the bracket wall 27 through which the tip of the bolt extends for engagement with the sash aperture 22, i.e., the bracket wall adjacent the sash 14.

Although the band spring 37 may be variously secured to the bracket web 28 and bolt 21, spring securance is preferably accomplished in the manner depicted in the drawing, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the interests of .simplicity and economy of construction. More particularly, linear portion 39 of the spring is preferably formed with a tab 42 projecting longitudinally from its end into engagement with an aperture 43, or equivalent opening in the web. Linear portion 41 is provided with an arcuate notch 44 in its end which is interengaged with a circumferential groove 46 formed in the periphery of bolt 21.

With the preferred extremely simple three-piece structural arrangement of the lock 18 hereinbefore described, it is to be noted that the band spring 37 has a neutral dead center position wherein the linear portions 39 and 41 are substantially normal to the web 28 of bracket 24 and a transverse plane through the bolt 21. When the spring is moved beyond its center position in the direction of bracket wall 27, the spring force exerted upon the bolt is in the same direction to thereby urge the bolt towards, and resiliently retain or keep same in its extended locked position of engagement with the sash aperture 22. Conversely, when the spring is moved oppositely beyond its center position in the direction of bracket wall 26, the spring force exerted upon the bolt is also oppositely directed towards such bracket wall. As a result, the spring urges the bolt towards its retracted unlocked position of disengagement from the sash aperture, and the linear portion 41 of the spring ultimately engages bracket wall 26 to thereby act as a stop determinative of the unlocked position. It will be thus appreciated that the lock is readily manipulable to lock or unlock the sliding patio door 12 by merely grasping the bolthead 32 to urge the bolt in the direction of its locked position or its unlocked position.

I claim:

1. A lock for sliding sash assemblies of the type having a sash mounted for slidable translation longitudinally of a frame, said lock comprising a mounting element adapted for securance to said frame, a lock bolt mounted upon said element for translation transversely of said sash between an extended locked position of engagement with an aperture in said sash and a retracted unlocked position of disengagement therefrom, and over center spring means secured between said mounting element and said bolt selectively effective to urge said bolt to said locked position or to said unlocked position, said mounting element being a bracket including a pair of parallel spaced walls extending right angularly from an interconnecting web and having aligned apertures slidably traversed by said bolt, said bolt having an enlarged head at one end engageable with a first of said walls in said locked position of said bolt and spaced therefrom in said unlocked position, said spring means secured between said web and said bolt, said spring means comprising an Omega-shaped band spring including a U-shaped central portion with aligned oppositely directed linear portions extending right angularly from its opposite ends, a first of said linear portions being end secured to said web and the second of said linear portions being end secured to said bolt, and said second linear portion of said spring being engageable with said first wall of said bracket to thereby determine said unlocked position of said bolt.

2. A lock according to claim 1, further defined by said web having an opening, said first linear portion of said spring having a tab projecting from its end and engaging said web opening, said bolt having a circumferential groove in its periphery, and said second linear portion of said spring having an arcuate notch in its end interengaged with said groove to thereby secure said spring between said web and said bolt.

3. A lock for sliding sash assemblies of the type having a sash mounted for slidable translation longitudinally of a frame, said lock comprising a mounting bracket having a first portion adapted for securance to said frame and a second angularly related portion disposed in parallel spaced relation to the plane of movement of said sash, a lock bolt slidably mounted in said second bracket portion for axial movement in a direction normal to said plane of sash movement, means on one end of said bolt remote from said sash for manual engagement, said bolt being movable between an extended locked position in which the other end of said bolt is in engagement with an aperture in said sash and a retracted unlocked position of disengagement therewith, an over center spring means having one end secured to said first bracket portion and a second end operatively secured to a medial portion of said bolt selectively effective to urge and maintain said bolt to and in said locked and unlocked positions upon manual axial movement of said bolt, said spring means engaging said second bracket portion for determining the unlocked p psit ion of s aid bolt. 

1. A lock for sliding sash assemblies of the type having a sash mounted for slidable translation longitudinally of a frame, said lock comprising a mounting element adapted for securance to said frame, a lock bolt mounted upon said element for translation transversely of said sash between an extended locked position of engagement with an aperture in said sash and a retracted unlocked position of disengagement therefrom, and over center spring means secured between said mounting element and said bolt selectively effective to urge said bolt to said locked position or to said unlocked position, said mounting element being a bracket including a pair of parallel spaced walls extending right angularly from an interconnecting web and having aligned apertures slidably traversed by said bolt, said bolt having an enlarged head at one end engageable with a first of said walls in said locked position of said bolt and spaced therefrom in said unlocked position, said spring means secured between said web and said bolt, said spring means comprising an Omega-shaped band spring including a U-shaped central portion with aligned oppositely directed linear portions extending right angularly from its opposite ends, a first of said linear portions being end secured to said web and the second of said linear portions being end secured to said bolt, and said second linear portion of said spring being engageable with said first wall of said bracket to thereby determine said unlocked position of said bolt.
 2. A lock according to claim 1, further defined by said web having an opening, said first linear portion of said spring having a tab projecting from its end and engaging said web opEning, said bolt having a circumferential groove in its periphery, and said second linear portion of said spring having an arcuate notch in its end interengaged with said groove to thereby secure said spring between said web and said bolt.
 3. A lock for sliding sash assemblies of the type having a sash mounted for slidable translation longitudinally of a frame, said lock comprising a mounting bracket having a first portion adapted for securance to said frame and a second angularly related portion disposed in parallel spaced relation to the plane of movement of said sash, a lock bolt slidably mounted in said second bracket portion for axial movement in a direction normal to said plane of sash movement, means on one end of said bolt remote from said sash for manual engagement, said bolt being movable between an extended locked position in which the other end of said bolt is in engagement with an aperture in said sash and a retracted unlocked position of disengagement therewith, an over center spring means having one end secured to said first bracket portion and a second end operatively secured to a medial portion of said bolt selectively effective to urge and maintain said bolt to and in said locked and unlocked positions upon manual axial movement of said bolt, said spring means engaging said second bracket portion for determining the unlocked position of said bolt. 